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Scott's Column
Home Server, Dell XPS M1330 vs. MacBook,
Windows vs. Ubuntu
August 1, 2007
By Scott Lewis
The big story for this month is my "new" home server. O.K. I rebuilt my old server with some new parts, and some newer used parts. But who's splitting hairs here. I also took a spec-for-spec look at the new Dell XPS M1330 and compared it to a couple of MacBook laptops. Finally, I have what may be my biggest news, I compared two Dell laptops, one with Ubuntu one with Windows, so we could weed out how much Windows Vista really costs.
Current Topics:
- Shameless Self Promotion (Black Only Printing from Color Printer)
- Home Server
- MacBook vs. Dell XPS M1330
- Windows vs. Ubuntu - A Price Comparison
Shameless Self Promotion (Black Only Printing from Color Printer)
Before we get to this month's topics, I just wanted to do a little shameless self promotion. I sent in a tip to Windows Secrets newsletter. In their July 12th newsletter Dennis J. Haggerty mentioned that his Epson Stylus Photo R300 printer used some of the color inks even when printing monochrome black output. I sent in the following tip:
"I have a HP Photosmart P1000 printer, and there
doesn't seem to be an easy way to get black-only output. My workaround
is to use 'Add a New Printer' manually in Windows.
"Go to the Printers section of the Control Panel and click Add Printer.
In the dialog boxes that follow, I select a local printer and uncheck
the option to Detect and install a plug-and-play printer. I make sure to
select the same port (USB, parallel, etc.) that the color printer is
attached to. I then manually select an HP DeskJet 500 printer from the
list of printers that Windows displays. I finish installing this printer
and set it as my default printer.
"Since the drivers for the DeskJet 500 know nothing about color, I get
pure black ink from the black cartridge and no color from the tri-color
cartridge. Every HP inkjet printer I have come across is
backward-compatible with the DeskJet 500."
My tip was printed in the
July 19th
issue under the heading "DeskJet driver saves ink on other HP printers."
Just scroll down one page from the link to read it.
Kudos to me for coming up with a tip to warrant mention is such a well
established and respected newsletter. I have been doing this for years.
I have always hated looking for a way to print a simple web page in
black and white. Setting up a "phantom" printer that is a black only
model works like a charm. It is also far easier to switch between color
and black and white this way. Just do Print As... and select the
printer. Simple.
Windows Secrets gives you a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com when
they use your tip. That showed up in my in-box the day after the
newsletter. Cool!
We will now return you to our regularly scheduled topics.
My wife got a new laptop. She is having a tough time dealing with
Windows Vista. Another reason I suggest waiting for Vista if you can do
so. Microsoft Word crashed on her previous laptop. She was very smart
and ran the backup script I wrote for her. Then she reboot the computer.
This left her computer in an endless reboot cycle. I popped in the
Windows XP disc and booted from that. It offered to repair Windows and I
let it do that. After about 5 minutes the laptop reboot and then
proclaimed it had 39 minutes left to install Windows. Apparently the
repair was to reinstall Windows.
Since the laptop was over 3 years old and long since out of warrantee we
decided she should get a new laptop. We ended up getting a Toshiba
F45-AV411 with Intel Centrino Duo (Core 2 Duo, 802.11n, 2GB RAM, 200 GB
HD, DVD Burner, 15.4 " screen, etc.). It included Windows Vista
Ultimate. We setup the old laptop for my youngest son. Long time readers
will remember he had my old laptop, until his uncle stepped on it ruining
the screen. So his uncle passed onto him his old 12" Compaq laptop.
Well, the Compaq laptop was now passed on to my niece.
What does all this have to do with a Home Server?
Simple, while we were at the store buying a laptop I picked up a hard
drive and two memory sticks to rebuild my server. As you will recall
from my March column I mentioned I had an Intel motherboard and Celeron
processor lying around. All I needed to upgrade my server was memory and
optionally a hard drive. A friend of mine was deployed to Iraq, and
wanted to build an "off duty hours" server there for the men in his
unit. I decided I would donate the drives from my server to his cause
(more next month). So I bought a new hard drive. I picked up a 320 GB
drive and 2 - 512 MB PC3200 memory modules. The PC3200 memory is backward
compatible with PC2100 and it was cheaper. Cool! I spent $180 at Best
Buy. I could have saved $20 by going to Fry's, but that is in Austin and
too far away to justify the savings.
It didn't take long to build the server. I have been backing up
the server to my laptop... then to DVDs since that March column. My
total prep time came to one last check for new or changed files on the
server and copying them to my laptop. I unplugged all the connections
from the server and took the box out of the server room (the closet in
my study).
Side Story: The transformer that provides power to my house was hit by lightening and it took out my desktop computer and my dishwasher. After buying and installing a new dishwasher I knew I could not spend the money to get my desktop working. But I decided to try the least expensive approach. I bought a new power supply ($45) on the hope that it could be the item that took the hit. It did not help, but I left the new power supply in the desktop case for when I can afford to get it running again. I used the old power supply from the desktop in the home server... which proved it did not get damaged by the power outage.
With my desktop machine opened I "borrowed" the CD-ROM drive and
the afore mentioned power supply. I had to remove the network card, sound card, video
card and parallel printer card from the server to get the motherboard
out. What? What is a parallel printer card? Well, at one time in the
distant past this machine was my desktop computer. We had two printers
that both used a parallel cable. So I bought a parallel printer card for
the machine. LPT2 anyone?
Everything went together without a hitch. Motherboard, power supply, new
hard drive, memory modules. Everything was straight forward. I put the
box behind my desk and hooked it up to the keyboard, mouse and monitor
for my desktop computer.
I installed Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition. This is more than
enough. I actually installed the operating system twice. See, the first
time I was overly zealous and jumped in without thinking. I forgot to
partition the hard drive. I don't know anyway to repartition the hard
drive on a server without buying software. So... reboot and start over.
I create a 25 GB partition to hold the operating system and a second
partition to be used for all the data.
Everything is working splendidly. I created two main shared folders on
the D: drive. One called Public and one called Backups. The
Public fold
gives everyone read/write access to the entire structure. I put all our
music, pictures, software installs, downloads, drivers, etc. in that
folder. You name it
and it is in there. The Backups folder works differently. I created a
folder for each machine on the network. I gave read/write permission to
the user that each machine belongs to. I revoked all other access by
other users. The idea is that people can backup their files from their
own computer to this area without worrying that anyone is going to see
them. However, I did make an exception. The folders for my two son's
computer are set for read only access to my wife and I. We want to be
able to keep tabs on them. Of course we didn't tell them we have
access... unless they read this.
I also created root folders for each user. Each user has read/write
access to them and, like the sub-folders within the Backups folder, no one
else has access. These would be a place for someone to store files on
the network rather than their PC and know they will be private.
By the way. You will notice that I refer to it as "the network." So does
my wife and my sister-in-law next door. So I named the server TheNetwork.
Now when people say, "I put it on 'the network,'" it means they put it
on the server... which is actually correct.
It took a good deal of time to get the permissions all set correctly. I
had to break parent dependencies in some place and make sure they
existed in others. It wasn't hard, just tedious work. I did the same
thing for the printers. I set them so those in my house can print, but
the family next door cannot.
I have not installed Oracle or SQL Server yet. I had to re-upload all my
web pages. However, since I am in the middle of converting the old web
pages to the new format the old pages are gone. It would have been far
too much trouble to try and put the old pages back while making sure the
new pages are properly working. Besides, this gives me the excuse to get
the old pages converted to the new format. I am converting over pages
about a dozen at a time. Hopefully by the end of august the entire
archive will be complete. I had intended to proof read all the old
articles and edit them for spelling and grammar. However, because I
don't have the luxury of you being able to read the archive in the old
format anymore, I am just copying the text into the new format as fast
as I can.
I will go back are proof read them at a later time. Sorry.
I had fun building this server. I was able to set up folders and
permissions far better than I did the last time. 20/20 hindsight being
was it is. I wonder how Microsoft's Home Server is going to work. As I
understand it it will be a hardware/software product and they do not
plan to release the software for people to build their own home servers.
That's a shame, but understandable. I can see the work I did being more
trouble than an average user or power user would be able to tackle.
However, the product Microsoft plans to release may be to simple for
some tasks. What would happen if Apple built a home server product? Now
that would be interesting. It would be just like the Mac Mini but with
more storage and be designed to work all by itself. They just have to
add the server features and a secure remote access piece to administer
the thing.
If anyone wants to know how to setup their own home server feel free to
contact me and I will be glad to lend a hand.
Last month I covered a few Dell laptops and compared them to what
Apple offers in its MacBook and MacBook Pro line. Just a day before I
finished that piece I saw an article on a new Dell model, the XPS M1330.
Just from the model number I assumed the new laptop went to a 13.3"
screen. I remember looking at the XPS line when I was shopping for a
laptop. I could not afford the 17" XPS laptop in Dell's line up. The
12.1" XPS M1210 was about the same price as the 17" Toshiba I bought,
but came with an inferior graphics sub-system. Clearly you were paying
for the small size that happens to come with decent horsepower. Top of
the line power was not the M1210's strong suit. It was a well powered,
very small laptop.
I wrote the previous paragraph, and this one, having only read that Dell
was adding the XPS M1330 to its model line. What has me curious is that
last month's Mac vs. Windows laptops
article
showed that there weren't any windows laptops that competed directly
with Apple's 13" MacBook product line. The 13" MacBook I looked at last
month was the only laptop in its price range with a CPU faster than 2.0
GHz. Also, most laptops in the same price range had 15.4" screens
compared to the MacBook's 13.3". You might think this was a disadvantage
for the Mac, but in reality it goes in the Mac's favor. The MacBook
models have a screen resolution of 1280 x 800, which is the same
resolution that all those 15.4" screen have. So the MacBook ends up
being smaller and lighter while maintaining a better quality screen. The
MacBook laptops are very portable machines.
So... before I look at the Dell I am looking for some answers. 1) Does
the M1330 replace the M1210? 2) What resolution is the screen? 3) What
graphic chipset does it use? 4) How much does it weight? 5) How much
does it cost? Basically I want to see how the XPS M1330 stacks up
against
Apple's MacBook line. Let's see.
| 13" MacBook $1,299 2.16 GHz 1 GB RAM Intel GMA 950 w/ 64MB shared 120GB @ 5400 rpm Slot loading CD/DVD 802.11n WiFi Bluetooth Gigabit Ethernet iSight Camera 5.1 pounds (w/ 55Whr) 13.3" 1280 x 800 |
Dell XPS M1330 $1,299 1.5 GHz 1 GB RAM Intel Integrated X3100 w/ shared memory 120GB @ 5400 rpm Slot loading CD/DVD 802.11a/g No Bluetooth 100 Megabit Ethernet 2.0 Megapixel WebCam 3.9 pounds (w/ 37Whr) 13.3" 1280 x 800 |
Dell XPS M1330 $1,649 2.2 GHz 1 GB RAM Intel Integrated X3100 w/ shared memory 120GB @ 5400 rpm Slot loading CD/DVD Intel Wireless-N Bluetooth 100 Megabit Ethernet 2.0 Megapixel WebCam 4+ pounds (w/ 56Whr) 13.3" 1280 x 800 |
Dell XPS M1330 $2,149 2.2 GHz 2 GB RAM nVidia GeForce 8400M GS w/ 128MB RAM 120GB @ 5400 rpm Slot loading CD/DVD Intel Wireless-N Bluetooth 100 Megabit Ethernet 0.3 Megapixel WebCam 4.7 pounds (w/ 85Whr) 13.3" LED 1280 x 800 * |
Notice that the base XPS M1330 with no options ($1,299 above) comes with only a 1.5 GHz processor compared to the
Mac's 2.16 GHz at the same price point. The XPS does come with Intel's
latest integrated graphics chip set, but this is not enough to make up
for the speed difference. The XPS is clearly lighter than the
MacBook. (Just before going to press I saw one at the Dell Kiosk in
the mall. It was not on, and was not plugged in. I suspect the battery
was dead. I picked it up and it is so light I thought it was a
non-functional demo unit. It is that light.) I have read that the standard battery of the XPS does not have
much capacity. To match the MacBook's battery you would have to get the
optional 56Whr battery from Dell. This is only a $30 upgrade, but it
will increase the weight some. However, the Dell is clearly the weight
champ here.
I decided to try and more closely match the MacBook with the Dell XPS
M1330. The results are the third column above, where the Dell is listed
at $1,649.
Notice here that we added the processor that was closest to the
processor in the MacBook, added the bigger battery, upgraded to Wireless
N and included Bluetooth. Ouch, the XPS is now $350 more than Mac. Oops!
While I was playing around on Dell's site I thought it would be
interesting to spec out a full blown performance version of the XPS
M1330. With all the performance options in place the price soared past 2
grand, and is the forth column above. This gets into MacBook Pro territory.
Maybe we should compare this version of the M1330 against the larger screened 15" MacBook Pro.
| 15" MacBook Pro - $1,999 2.2 GHz 2 GB RAM nVidia GeForce 8600M GT w/ 128MB RAM 120GB @ 5400 rpm Slot loading CD/DVD 802.11n WiFi Bluetooth Gigabit Ethernet iSight Camera 5.4 pounds (w/ 60Whr Batt) 15.4" 1440 x 900 |
Dell XPS M1330 - $2,149 2.2 GHz 2 GB RAM nVidia GeForce 8400M GS w/ 128MB RAM 120GB @ 5400 rpm Slot loading CD/DVD Intel Wireless-N Bluetooth 100 Megabit Ethernet 0.3 Megapixel WebCam 4.7 pounds (w/ 85Whr Batt) 13.3" LED 1280 x 800 * |
* In the top of the line XPS M1330 I optioned it with the Slim and Light White LED display.
This is supposed to be a big
improvement over the standard LCD display, which is what Apple uses (I
think). This was a $150 option on the XPS.
I added Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy HD Software Edition and the
Biometric Fingerprint Reader to the Dell. Why not, they were only $25 each. I went
overboard on the battery for this configuration and optioned it with the
standard 4 cell battery and a 9 cell battery. With the 9 cell battery
the laptop goes from 3.9 to 4.7 pounds. I would use the 4 cell battery
most of the time around the house, but would switch to the 9 cell
battery any time I had to leave the house... even if leaving the house
meant going out on the deck in the backyard. Without these "extra"
features the price would still be over $2,000.
Regardless, the XPS in this configuration is more expensive than a 15" MacBook Pro. Ouch! Granted, we
upgraded a lot with this configuration. But the CPU, memory, video, hard
drive, wireless, and Bluetooth are all a match. Even the WebCam on the
Dell takes a hit with the better LED screen, dropping to 0.3 megapixels. The MacBook Pro
gives you a bigger screen, Gigabit Ethernet and a slight weight penalty
for less money than the Dell XPS M1330.
Once again, we prove that Mac laptops are less expensive than
hardware comparable Windows laptops.
Windows vs. Ubuntu - A Price Comparison
Finally... we can compare apples to apples (no pun intended) of
identically configured computers and determine how much of the price is
going to the Microsoft Machine. Dell recently started offering Ubuntu on
some of its computers. Since I have been pricing laptops for a while
lately I thought I would use Dell's Inspiron 1400 Series to act as
the guinea pig. I priced a 1420 and 1420N, just to see what the price
difference was. Let's have a look at the basic specs of an Inspiron 1400
with Windows Vista Basic:
Inspiron 1420
1.5GHz Core 2 Duo (T5250)
Glossy Widescreen 14.1" display @
1280 x 800
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
1GB Shared DDR2 Memory
80GB SATA 5400RPM Hard Drive
24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive
Intel 3945 802.11a/g Mini-card
(+$25)
56Whr Lithium Ion Battery
Windows Vista Basic
1Yr Ltd Warranty and Mail-In Service
The above configuration had 1 option, the Intel 3945 wireless network
card.
Intel helped with the Linux drivers for its wireless card, which is the
only wireless solution available on the Ubuntu box. I added this card to
the Windows laptop so we can truly rule out anything but the software.
If you were trying to get the cheapest Windows laptop in this product
line you can save $25 if you opt for Dell's own wireless solution. Plus you
can upgrade the Windows box to Intel's Wireless-N for more speed. Of
course you can't upgrade the Ubuntu box to this particular Intel
Wireless solution.
On the Inspiron 1420 the price to upgrade to Windows Home Premium is $29. I thought that might be of interest. So, what about Ubuntu? O.K. I configured a Dell Inspiron 1420N, an identical laptop, with Ubuntu and the price was $774. That puts the cost of Windows Home Basic at $50, and Windows Home Premium at $79. What we still don't know is whether Dell is charging us more than they are paying Microsoft. The cheapest way I know to buy Windows Home Premium is to buy the educational version of Windows Vista Home Premium Upgrade from Academic Superstore for $69.95. We should all know by now that you can install the upgrade version without actually upgrading a computer.
Clearly a copy of the full version of Windows Home Premium costs us more to buy than $79 if we have to find it ourselves. Academic Superstore puts the full version at $240. At the minimum Dell's buying power is helping us.
As for accessories with the Dell laptops... the Ubuntu box only lists cases, bags and mice.
The Windows Box offers Printers, Anti-Virus software, Productivity
software, Photo and Music Software, Burn & Video Editing software, Top
Selling Software as well as the bags and mice. Of course, all those
software options are Windows applications, so it is expected they would
not be available for Linux.
So, how much does Windows cost? The bottom line here is that
Windows
Vista Home Basic costs $50, with Vista Home Premium costing $79. At
least this is the price you are paying when you buy a computer. I did
not delve too deeply into details, but Windows must come with some level
of support. Dell charges to support Ubuntu, with the least expensive
support option being $65 for 30 days of support. Ouch! If you need
support for Ubuntu from Dell, you might as well get Windows instead. Anyone buying a laptop
with Linux on it know that there is plenty of community support for
Linux that does not cost a cent, and probably already uses it.
Conclusion
I always wanted to know how much Windows really cost... and now we do. It has been a busy month. Work is getting more and more busy, so I expect to have less time in the coming months to get a lot of content in this column. But I am working on some topics. I have the story about the hard drives from my server, and I priced out some hardware to upgrade (get working) my desktop so it will be ready to play DX10 games.
Stay tuned.
